Meaning & use
penknife
Last updated
UK/ˈpɛnnaɪf/
US/ˈpɛnˌnaɪf/
Meaning
nouncountableBritish
A small knife with a blade that folds into its handle, easy to carry in a pocket.
Grammar: Mostly British: Americans usually say pocketknife.
Patterns
- a penknife with something
- pull out a penknife
He used a penknife to cut the string.
My uncle always carries a penknife in his pocket.
The scout's penknife had a blade, a file, and a bottle opener.
Word forms
| plural | penknives |
|---|
Common combinations
- pocket penknife
- A small penknife was the only tool in his bag.
- sharpen a penknife
- He sharpened his penknife on a stone.
- Swiss penknife
- She got a red Swiss penknife for her birthday.
- fold-out penknife
- The fold-out penknife has two blades.
- carve with a penknife
- He carved his initials into the tree with a penknife.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pocketknife
- Pocketknife is the usual American word for the same folding knife.
- jackknife
- Jackknife is a larger folding knife, mostly in American use.
- clasp knife
- A clasp knife folds and locks, and the term is older-fashioned.
Word family
- knife noun
- a tool with a blade for cutting
- penknives noun
- plural of penknife
Practice
A British scout might use a ______ to whittle a stick.
Choose one answer.
A penknife is a small folding knife, handy for whittling. A scalpel is a surgical tool, and a cleaver and a machete are much larger.
Make it your own
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